Should We Use Someone Else's Sermon?

A short but definitive study of the growing problem of pulpit plagiarism, which people are reluctant to talk about, with suggestions on how to avoid the problem or deal with it if it comes to light in a church.

With easy access to sermons on the Internet, plus pressure to deliver the next sermon with little time to prepare, no wonder some pastors have resorted to plagiarizing other people’s sermons, passing them off as their own. This growing epidemic has received coverage in the Wall Street Journal, on National Public Radio, and elsewhere. Some pastors have been caught in the act and dismissed from their churches. Is this fair? Is this stealing? How can you recognize it? How can it be prevented? This book not only helps explain the problem, but it also explores the ethical implications and gives advice on how to avoid it or deal with it if the problem surfaces in your church. It includes study questions at the end of chapters and a concluding case study.

Contributor(s)

Scott M. Gibson

About the Contributor(s)

Scott M. GibsonScott M. Gibson is the Haddon Robinson Professor of Preaching and Director of the ThM. Program in Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the cofounder of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. He has served as a pastor and is one of the founders of Cornerstone Church Network. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Knox College University of Toronto, and the University of Oxford (Dphil) Among his many books are Preaching to a Shifting Culture, Preaching for Special Services, and Planning Your Preaching. Dr. Gibson and his wife Rhonda live in Beverly, Massachusetts.